LAS VEGAS – The UTSA women's basketball team opened up Las Vegas Invitational play with a 74-51 loss to Missouri State on Friday afternoon at The Mirage.
GAME LEADERS
Jordyn Jenkins led the Roadrunners with 22 points and seven rebounds. Jenkins was the leading scorer in three out of the four quarters in the game. Sidney Love picked up a team-high five assist, while also recording a block, a steal and eight points. The Roadrunners led the Lady Bears with 12 offensive rebounds to 11 defensive rebounds. UTSA also had seven fast break points to Missouri State's six fast break points.
BREAKDOWN OF THE GAME
Missouri State won the jumpball and scored first, but UTSA responded a little over 20 seconds later as Jenkins made a jumper in the paint to make the score 3-2, in favor of the Lady Bears. That one-point deficit would be the closest the Roadrunners came to Missouri State. The Lady Bears went on a couple five-point scoring runs and a four-point run to lift them to a 19-8 advantage after the first quarter.
Missouri State continued to add onto to their lead in the second quarter, even jumping out to a 17-point lead with 6:52 on the clock. UTSA fought back to a seven-point deficit by the end of the first half. With 21 seconds left on the clock, Missouri State was awarded a foul, making both free throws to take a nine-point lead. UTSA then earned a foul of their own, which Elyssa Coleman went to the line and made both free throw attempts to end the first half with a Missouri State lead of 32-25.
Coming into the second half, Jenkins made the first basket of the third quarter – a layup in the paint with 9:35 on the clock to cut the Lady Bears' lead to five. Following this, Missouri State went on a 10-point tear in the next minute and 28 seconds to take a 15-point lead. The Roadrunners fought hard in the third quarter with 20 points to compete with the Lady Bears' 22 points in the period. The third quarter ended with a Missouri State 54-45 advantage.
The Lady Bears went on a 11-point scoring run to open up the fourth quarter. The only made field goal in the final quarter was a pullup jumper by Kyra White with 6:42 on the clock. Missouri State then went on a nine-point run to take a 27-point lead. With less than a minute left on the clock, the Roadrunners earned two foul calls, which Kyleigh McGuire and Maya Linton made all four free throw attempts to cut UTSA's deficit. The Roadrunners fell to the Lady Bears of Missouri State, 74-51, on day one of the Las Vegas Invitational.
UTSA's record falls to 1-3, while Missouri State's record improves to an even 2-2.
UP NEXT: The Roadrunners close out the Las Vegas Invitational as they face the St. John's Red Storm on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 1:15 p.m. (PT)/3:15 p.m. (CT) from The Mirage Ballroom.
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